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Their Champions League dreams lie in tatters, Liverpool doing a lot of things right but the final outcome a disaster.

Jurgen Klopp’s team can claim a small moral victory having had more possession (52% – BBC Sport), not a lot of teams can say that after visiting the Camp Nou.

However, plenty of them can say they have been destroyed by Lionel Messi. Liverpool the latest to add their name to that list.

A brilliant goal saw Suarez give Barcelona a 26th minute lead but the onslaught failed to happen.

In fact, Liverpool looked a match for the hosts, especially after the break.

However, they failed to take advantage of some decent situations and the threat is always there for Barca.

On 75 minutes Barcelona doubled their lead, Suarez hitting the bar and the rebound landing perfectly for Lionel Messi to walk in his 599th goal for Barcelona. Just mental isn’t it, 599 goals.

Worse/better was to come, as seven minutes later, the Argentine maestro put a 35 yard free-kick around the wall and into the top corner to make it a round 600 goals and surely end any faint hopes Liverpool had.

Mo Salah somehow hit the post from eight yards out with the keeper nowhere to be seen and an away goal would have given them real hope.

Instead it was left to Dembele to miss a sitter with the final shot of injury time, Messi set him up and with just the keeper to beat he put it straight into Alisson’s arms.

A great game to watch as a neutral but the BT Sport commentator and Steve McManaman were laughable, the Barcelona players were all cheats apparently, yet when Salah and others play acted and threw themselves down, nothing was said.

Barcelona have already won La Liga so they can rest whoever against Celta Vigo on Saturday, whereas you wonder how Jurgen Klopp will react for the away game at Newcastle United.

If it had gone 4-0 then surely Klopp would privately have had to accept that the Premier League was the only priority, whereas if Salah had scored for 3-1, it would have left him thinking still a real chance in both competitions.

The return leg is on Tuesday night and ahead of that, Liverpool have to beat Newcastle United to stand any chance of beating Manchester City to the title.

A win over Rafa’s side would put them two points clear and give Man City something to think about ahead of their game at home to Leicester on Monday night. Both clubs then playing at 3pm on the final day (Sunday 12 May), Liverpool home to Wolves and Man City at Brighton

You would imagine Klopp simply has to throw everything at the game at St James Park and worry about Barcelona after that.

Barcelona’s 3-0 victory was Liverpool’s first defeat in any competition since 7 January, 20 games unbeaten and all of the last 10 won.

A bonus for Newcastle fans having a last game at home that has meaning, even if it is only in terms of potentially making or breaking the season for others.

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